The news and herald. (Winnsboro, S.C.) 1877-1900, 1887-12-10
sCELESlE'S WEDDING.

& - -.sev
One Gay business requiring my pres
sence at X, a small town with q
population Of 5000 or G,O0O inhabl.
tants, distant twenty miles from
Paris, Iarrived there about 10 In the
forenoon, and was greatly surprised to
find the streets, which are generally so
silent and peaceful, usually animated,
+ Groups Of men were standing in front
OF the shops, women were gossiping at
the windows, young men and young
girls we're vending their way toward
the public square, while urchins were
running about in every direction.
The Hotel Of Commerce, my Gus
tomary stopping place, seemed upside
down. Travellers, who had been aban-
donedA to their fate by the walters,
were Juggling furiously at their bell
cords, one calling for his boots, an
other for his breakfast, this one
wanted his mail, that one his paper,
While the corridors were the scene of
an lndescrlbable confusion. The mas
ter OF the house, stout, jovlal man,
known to all rs Father Philip, travelled
up stairs and down, perspirlng, pant
ing and fuming, at q loss as to which
call he should answer first. I stopped
him Is he was going by.
'IIeIlol Father Philip said I, with
alangh, ''what is the matter2 Are
your servants on q strikep"
'Ahl' replied he, as he mopped bis
face furously with his handkerchief,
s'don't speak Of it, sir Although 1
had forbidden 1t, they hayeail gone to
$ithe wedding, Ali hare THEY are now.
i coming backl Itls about. .tiElep'
With contrite, looks and hanging
heads, the three walters were return
ing, as he said, sneaking along the
wall. But Father Philip, red as a
lobster, had caught eight Of thcn, and
without waiting for explanations, he
bewled at the top Of his voice:
"Say, are you all trying to make {.
+ ,ol Of me? Auguste, chocolate to Z,
coffee with milk to IL, letters to 8!
Emi,e. 1G's Eoots. G's hat. Petit Journal
for 9. No. Us bill! IDS breakfast,
Iile i fmS gluDio lot Il. -
Without any questions, Auguste,
Emile and Jules disappeared up the
staircase as If by magic. We heard
them scurrying along the halls on the
upper floor; doors wero slammed, and
five minutes later the house had recov-
cred ita usual sercnity. Then only did
Father Philip become moro calm, and,
turning to me, lie SAID:
"Whyl you have not been relieved OF
your valise yet. I beg your pardon.
Ahl my dear sir, one is anything but
happy when he has to deal with such
scampsl But then I cannot DC angry
with them to-day, The whole town is
topsy turvy on account OF the we'd
ding.''
"Whose wedding2"
"Bein? Ah that's so. You have
just arrived Rnl could not know. 1t
is themarriage Of Mile. I,ondurandP'
In uttering this last sentence Father
Philip was very probably under the i'm
preston that was going to exclalm:
1"That accounts for it'll" as he seemed
most unpleasantly surprised when I re-
piled. without dreaming that might
give offense: "Ican't see why the mar.
riage Of that particular lady should
have revolutionized the town In this
way"
He disdainfully stuck out his neither
lip, a sure sign that he was pouting, or,
as his walters would say, Showing his
lip.'3 Still, he was on the point of ex-
planning why such a cause had pro-
duced 80 great an effect when the
rumbling OF carriages resountled in the
street and the air was filled with cries
Of "Here they comet here they comel''
It was the wedding--tho famous
wedding Of Mile. Bondurand--which,
after the ceremony at the town hall and
at church, was passing by the hotel on
its way back to the BRIDES residence.
1t was followed by crowd OF idlers
who ran along, shouting, waving their
hats, and showing each other, even un.
der the horses' feet, as they scrambled
in the dust after the sugar plums The
groomsmen were throwing by handfuls
through the carriage windows.
We had posted ourselves on the
stoop to get a better view Of the COR
tege as it went by. Father Philip
shared in the general enthusiasm, and
seemed hugely delighted as he pointed
out to me the family and the invited
guests.
y "There is Monsieur Bondurand, the
BRIDES father, in the second carriage.
Hellol his wife Is not with biml Par
b,eul she has got into her daughters
vehicles. That bald headed gentleman
is our sous preret.n
"And who Is that peasant woman in